An informed gentleman from New York called the office this morning. He is petitioning to bring his mother to the U.S. She lives outside Lagos, Nigeria and has an interview at the U.S. Embassy next week. He has heard from friends that the U.S. Embassy may request an immigration DNA test, so he had some questions about the process.
I let him know that the Embassy in Nigeria often requests DNA testing for immigration when the consular officers feel that the families have not provided enough proof of a biological relationship. He wanted to be proactive, but the Embassy says not to complete the testing unless they ask for it. I disagree with that guideline, but there hasn’t been much progress to change it.
If and when the Embassy requests DNA testing for him and his mom, he’ll need to call a DNA company who provides AABB accredited results. He’ll be responsible for all costs included in the procedure; DNA testing, shipping and handling, country fees. His mom will be required to pay a small fee to the Doctor at the U.S. Embassy who collects the sample, but all other fees are paid by the petitioner.
The gentleman was delighted to hear that one company could handle the testing for him in New York and his mom in Nigeria. I was happy that he was happy. I wished him good luck, and hopefully the consular officer will find enough evidence, so a DNA test is not needed. Only time will tell.
For more information about the immigration DNA testing process check out our article, Five Steps of an Immigration DNA Test.
